episode_0002

“What are you? Are you saying you’ll help me out?”

…

In response to Nopa’s words, I just stared at him silently. Nopa simply clicked his tongue and then said, “Well, since you’re here, you might as well come in. Grab that oil lamp over there.”

Nopa handed me the oil lamp he was holding. The lamp was quite heavy, filled with oil. There were lighter gas lamps available, but they didn’t last as long as the oil lamps.

Everything in the Igowa Orphanage was shabby. The clothes were worn out from being passed down from one orphan to another, with stretched out necklines, frayed hems, and holes from wear and tear. The undergarments were so stretched out that they rarely fit properly, barely held in place by safety pins to prevent them from slipping down.

When was the last time this building was repaired? The broken windows were patched up with spare rags, letting the wind howl through, and the floor creaked as if it could give way at any moment.

Even the porridge served daily to keep us from starving was clearly made from cheap ingredients.

Perhaps the most valuable things in the orphanage were the orphans themselves.

“In any case, be careful. If you keep acting like that with a half-hearted face, no one will want to take you in.”

…

I should keep my mouth shut.

Could a five-year-old child really outsmart Nopa?

No, even if Nopa was a toothless old man hobbling around with a cane, he would still be stronger than a five-year-old child. The last time he grabbed my arm, his strength had increased significantly, surprising me.

If I tried to argue back, I might just end up getting beaten, and I might even lose the privilege of walking beside Claire.

In this moment, I was already thinking of how to rescue Claire. It wasn’t a brilliant plan, but I didn’t want to just let her go.

Claire’s initial appearance was not positive at all.

She was rude, full of complexes, and a character who belittled the abilities of the princess, one of the targets of conquest.

But as the past was revealed, she gradually improved her image by reconciling with the princess, fought on the side of the emperor attempting world domination, and sacrificed herself for the princess, ignoring even the emperor’s orders in the end.

I… liked the character of Claire.

No, to be precise, I liked almost all the main characters in the game series.

The series usually took anywhere from 70 to 150 hours to complete, and I had played through it multiple times for walkthroughs.

Having watched the characters for so long, I had developed a certain affection for almost all the main characters in the game.

It had been seven years. For seven years, I had eagerly awaited the release of each new game, pre-ordered it, and eagerly opened the package with excitement.

I even once bought the downloadable version because I couldn’t wait for the delivery.

She was a character from a game that I loved so much. I wanted to find a way to help her escape the situation. I knew the future.

But… I had no power to change it.

Even though I knew the future, I was just a five-year-old.

In cases of transitioning to different worlds, especially into a game world, there were often status screens or a plethora of special abilities, but… I didn’t have any of that. And even if I did, I wouldn’t know how to use them right away.

Why did I end up here, unable to do anything?

What was the reason for me, who was powerless, to end up by Hiro’s side?

“Well, introduce yourself then.”

A voice from behind was heard.

The door was open. Perhaps because it was summer. The sky was dark. The two people who appeared to be a middle-aged couple in a wealthy household had come here in the middle of the night for some reason.

“…Hello.”

If I didn’t greet them, I would probably be scolded again when I entered, so I politely bowed and greeted them.

Claire, who was standing beside me, awkwardly bowed along with me.

“Oh.”

A man with a neatly trimmed beard and a silk hat on his head bowed and peered at my face.

The weather still seemed like early winter. A cold wind brushed past my body.

But the reason I shivered was not just because the wind felt cold on my skin.

The man, with prominent cheekbones and a monocle on one eye, made one eye look strangely large due to the monocle.

“Is this the child?”

“Oh, no. The one who came to see today is this one…”

The old man, who usually had a voice full of annoyance when speaking to children, spoke in a polite tone to the man.

“…I understand, but of course, the items on this side are also for sale.”

“Hmm.”

The man took the oil lamp from my hand and brought it close to my face. The distinct smell of burning oil spread, and the heat of the flame attached to the thick glass on the lamp could be felt. The light of the lamp was not just red but showed a slightly bluish hue. Inside was oil, but it looked as if a gas lamp was lit.

The man carefully examined my face under the light of the lamp, then slowly lowered the lamp and observed Claire in the same manner.

“Unfortunately, it seems there is only enough money for one today. But this child seems to be on the edge of age. The customer will like it. Is the price the same?”

The man, who had scrutinized Claire’s entire body, asked.

Meanwhile, a plump middle-aged woman, who seemed completely uninterested in what was happening here, was standing a few steps away from the man.

“Oh, well, this child is originally a high-quality item that I have been hiding. I was planning to sell it to a customer who prefers slightly older children…”

“Hmm.”

The man turned back towards me, then reached out and grabbed my hair. A chill ran down my spine. Even if I had my original body, I felt like I wouldn’t be able to beat this man.

The well-made suit revealed well-defined muscles inside. If he were to grab my hair and twist it as he pleased, I felt like my skull might shatter, his fingers were thick and rough.

Ignoring my stiffened state, the man examined my hair under the lamp as if confirming the color.

“It seems this one suits the customer’s taste. Does this child have any experience?”

The man, dropping my hair as if it were nothing, asked the old man.

“Oh, no. We always deal with genuine products. That’s a given.”

“I see. Then the processing will be done on this side.”

The man straightened up and handed the lamp to the old man.

I noticed that the man was holding a sturdy cane in his right hand. Naturally, the cane was different from the roughly carved wooden cane of the old man.

It was black and shiny, with an eagle head-shaped handle. It might have been made of ivory.

“Oh, right, so how much did you say the price was?”

The man spoke with a stern expression as he looked down at the old woman, “It seems like you’ve forgotten how you exaggerated my story earlier.”

“Oh, no. Since we’re both family, there’s no need to haggle over the price. Just give me the same price you mentioned last time.”

“Is that so? Understood.”

The man pulled out a hefty pouch from his suit pocket and tossed it to the old woman. Gratefully taking the pouch, the old woman peered inside and smiled warmly. The deep wrinkles on her face creased, and her nearly toothless mouth was exposed. With a lamp below casting backlight, the atmosphere was almost like a horror movie.

“Thank you. Please continue to use our services…”

The old woman said, bowing deeply.

“Of course. Make sure that child behaves well until then.”

The man pointed at Claire with his finger.

“Of course. How could I not…”

“Let’s go.”

Without waiting for the old woman’s response, the man turned to me and said, “Unni?”

Claire, who seemed to be unaware of the situation, finally looked at me and said, “Claire.”

I didn’t expect the situation to escalate like this…

At least, is it over now?

I couldn’t guarantee what would happen to Claire in the future, but at least, have I prevented what could have happened immediately?

“Take care.”

Anyway, I bid farewell.

“Unni, where are you going?”

Claire asked anxiously, and before I could nod…

“Yes.”

…the man said.

His voice was completely different from the stern one I heard earlier; it was chillingly warm.

Turning around, the man walked towards Claire, stooped over, as if playing the role of a caring adult. He placed his hand on Claire’s shoulder and said, “Your ‘unni’ is going to a better place. A much warmer place where there’s no hunger. So wait here patiently. I’ll come to take you soon. Then, you can enjoy your time in the same place as your unni.”

But Claire didn’t seem to believe those words, even at her young age.

Her gaze shifted anxiously between the man and me.

The man smiled at Claire, patted her head, straightened up, turned around, and walked straight towards the carriage without saying a word.

I waved goodbye to Claire.

It wasn’t a situation to smile about, but I forced a smile.

Seeing my smile, Claire finally waved back, relieved.

With nothing more to do, I turned towards the carriage.

Thud!

A loud noise rang out.

As soon as I got on the carriage, I thought it was the sound of the door closing.

But then, I felt a sudden pain in my forehead, and realized that I had fallen face-first to the ground.

My vision blurred, and my ears rang. It was more of a dizziness than pain. A man with a sturdy build had grabbed the head of a five-year-old child and slammed him to the ground. It was almost miraculous that I was able to comprehend the situation in this state.

“Ah…?”

But that didn’t mean my body was completely unharmed.

Blood was dripping from my face. Did my nose break?

I felt something rolling around in my mouth.

As I tried to touch my face…

Crack!

I heard a sound, and my head whipped to the right.

“Hi, hi…”

Only then did the pain hit me.

It hurt.

It was probably the first time I had experienced pain since I was born.

Tears that came late clouded my vision, and my head was ringing so loudly that I couldn’t hear properly. Maybe my eardrums were damaged from the slap on my cheek a while ago.

“I’m sorry.”

A voice devoid of any real apology faintly echoed through the haze.

“I have no personal feelings about this. I simply prefer it when customers are a bit broken.”

A thick hand grabbed my neck roughly.

“Don’t worry. I won’t kill you.”

“Ugh…”

I wanted to say something, but my voice wouldn’t come out properly.

As the man raised his hand, his slightly swollen left eye was visible.

I hate it…

And in the next moment, I realized that the pain in my body had disappeared in an instant.

I waited, hunched over, but the hand didn’t come to strike me.

No, rather, the warm feeling I had felt in the carriage suddenly vanished.

Could it be that I died?

Tensing up, I raised my head, only to find Claire standing there with a bewildered expression.

“Sister?”

Seeing me crouched on the bed, looking startled, with my arm raised, Claire asked, “What’s wrong?”

“…Huh?”

Slowly lowering my arm, I looked around.

This was the orphanage. It was exactly the same as before I left.

I raised my hand to touch my face.

No bruises, no tears, no pain. I was completely unharmed. I moved my tongue, but nothing was broken or missing.

What is this…?

Before I could fully comprehend my situation,

“Claire!”

I heard the old man’s voice.

“Someone has come to take you! Come out happily!”

It was a phrase I had heard once before.